Muncie, Indiana
|image_skyline = Muncie-city-hall-2005.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Muncie City Hall |image_flag = |image_seal = |image_map = Delaware County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Muncie highlighted.svg |mapsize = 250x200px |map_caption = Location in the state of Indiana |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Indiana |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Delaware |subdivision_type3 = Township |subdivision_name3 = Center, Hamilton, Liberty, Mount Pleasant |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Dennis Tyler (D) |area_note = |established_date = |area_magnitude = |area_land_km2 = 70.45 |area_water_km2 = 0.49 |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 70.94 |area_total_sq_mi = 27.39 |area_land_sq_mi = 27.20 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.19 |population_as_of = 2010 |population_est = 70087 |pop_est_as_of = 2012 |population_footnotes = |population_total = 70085 |population_density_km2 = 994.9 |population_density_sq_mi = 2576.7 |population_blank1_title = Demonym |population_blank1 = Munsonian |population_note = |population_metro = |timezone = EST |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = EDT |utc_offset_DST = -4 |elevation_m = 284 |elevation_ft = 932 |coordinates_display = inline, title |coordinates_type = region:US_type:city |latd = 40 |latm = 11 |lats = 36 |latNS = N |longd = 85 |longm = 23 |longs = 17 |longEW = W |website = www.cityofmuncie.com |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 47302-47308 |area_code = 765 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 18-51876 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0439878 |blank2_name = Interstate Highways |blank2_info = (just west of town) }} |blank3_name = U.S. Highways |blank3_info = }} |blank4_name = Major State Roads |blank4_info = * * * }} |blank5_name = Waterways |blank5_info = West Fork of White River |blank6_name = Airports |blank6_info = Delaware County Regional Airport |blank7_name = Public transit |blank7_info = MITS |footnotes = | }} Muncie is a city in Center Township and the county seat of Delaware County in east central Indiana. As of the 2010 Census, the city's population was 70,085. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769. Muncie is the home of Ball State University and the Ball Corporation (1888–1998) and the birthplace of the comic strip Garfield. Thanks to the Middletown studies first conducted in the 1920s, it is said to be one of the most studied U.S. cities of its size. History The area was first settled in the 1770s by the Lenape people, who had been transported from their tribal lands in the Mid-Atlantic region (all of New Jersey plus southeastern New York, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware) to Ohio and eastern Indiana. They founded several towns along the White River including Munsee Town (according to historical map of "The Indians" by Clark Ray), near the site of present-day Muncie. In 1818, the tribes were forced to cede this land to the federal government and move farther west. The area was opened to white settlers two years later. The city of Muncie was incorporated in 1865. Contrary to popular legend, the city is not named after a mythological Chief Munsee; it was actually named after Munsee Town, the white settlers' name for the Indian village on the site, "Munsee" meaning a member of the Lenape people or one of their languages. Middletown studies Muncie was lightly disguised as "Middletown" by a team of sociologists, led by Robert and Helen Lynd, who were only the first to conduct a series of studies in Muncie; considered a typical Middle-American community; in their case, a study funded by the Rockefeller Institute of Social and Religious Research."The aim... was to study synchronously the interwoven trends that are the life of a small American city." Lynd and Lynd 1929: 3 In 1929, the Lynds published Middletown: A Study in Contemporary American Culture. They returned to re-observe the community during the Depression and published Middletown in Transition: A Study in Cultural Conflicts (1937). Later in the century, the National Science Foundation funded a third major study that resulted in two books by Theodore Caplow, Middletown Families (1982) and All Faithful People (1983). Caplow returned in 1998 to begin another study, Middletown IV, which became part of a PBS Documentary entitled "The First Measured Century," released in December 2000. The Ball State Center for Middletown Studies continues to survey and analyze social change in Muncie. An enormous database of the Middletown surveys conducted between 1978 and 1997 is available online from ARDA, American Religion Data Archive. Due to the extensive information collected from the Middletown studies over the last century, Muncie is said to be one of the most studied cities of its size in the United States. Geography According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of , of which (or 99.31%) is land and (or 0.69%) is water. Climate Muncie has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) experiencing four distinct seasons. |source 2=Homefacts |date=July 2013}} Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 70,085 people, 27,722 households, and 13,928 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 31,958 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.0% White, 10.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population. There were 27,722 households of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.8% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 28.1 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 27.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 20.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 67,430 people, 27,322 households, and 14,589 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,788.2 people per square mile (1,076.7/km²). There were 30,205 housing units at an average density of 1,248.9 per square mile (482.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.72% White, 12.97% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population. There were 27,322 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 24.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,613, and the median income for a family was $36,398. Males had a median income of $30,445 versus $21,872 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,814. About 14.3% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over. Economy From the late 19th century, Muncie's economic backbone had been in the industrial sector, primarily manufacturing. Drawn to the region during the Indiana Gas Boom of the 1880s, many factories sprang up in the area relying on the combustible natural resource. The Ball Brothers moved their glass factory from Buffalo to Muncie, beginning glass production there on March 1, 1888. This relationship with Muncie ended 110 years later, when the Ball Corporation moved its corporate headquarters to Broomfield, Colorado in 1998. Other notable manufacturers with plants in the city have included BorgWarner, The Broderick Company (former division of Harsco), Dayton-Walther Corporation, Delco Remy, General Motors (New Venture Gear), Hemingray Glass Company, Indiana Steel and Wire, and Westinghouse. Most of these factories closed or relocated during a tumultuous period for the city beginning in the 1970s and continuing today as thousands of jobs have been lost in the last decade alone. Many smaller, non-unionized, manufacturing businesses have survived this transition, such as Maxon Corporation, Duffy Tool (now North American Stamping), Reber Machine & Tool, Magna Powertrain, and a dozen or so other shops which employ anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred workers. In 2009, Muncie became the United States headquarters for Brevini Wind, an Italian-based company that manufactures gearboxes for wind turbines. In 2011, Progress Rail Services (a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc.) opened in the former Westinghouse facility, which had been vacant since 1998, and which produces locomotives. Like many mid-sized cities in the Rust Belt, Muncie has had to diversify its economy due to the loss of blue-collar manufacturing jobs in the latter part of the 20th century. Today, Muncie's economy is based primarily in health care, education, retail, and other service-related industries. The local economy is a controversial topic among Munsonians, and the city has at times struggled to find cohesion between older unemployed or underemployed who strongly identify with the manufacturing identity of the city and newer residents who identify with the city's shift towards educational and health services. Animosity is greatest among residents living in the once industrialized sections of the city's south and east sides, as much of the economic growth over that last few decades has taken place primarily on the north and west sides in connection with Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University. There is also animosity surrounding Delaware County's low rate of college graduates despite it being home to a major state university. Over the past decade, Muncie has seen the beginnings of a cultural shift toward support for local businesses and economic empowerment. Much of this change is due in part to the efforts of the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and the residents, patrons, and business owners of the downtown community. In 2007, Muncie was rated the most affordable college town in America according to real estate company Coldwell Banker. In 2014, Forbes declared Muncie the #34 best small place for business and careers, and #20 best for cost of doing business. According to the Muncie–Delaware County, Indiana Economic Development Alliance, as of 2014, the ten largest employers in the county were: Culture The David Owsley Museum of Art collection includes over 11,000 works of art. The museum has been located in the Fine Arts Building on the Ball State University campus since 1935. Emens Auditorium, also on the Ball State campus, is the largest performing arts center in Muncie, with 3,581 seats. Other centers include the 410-seat University Theatre, 600-seat Sursa Performance Hall, and the Muncie Civic Theatre downtown. Canan Commons is an outdoor amphitheater and greenspace that opened downtown in 2011. depot, restored and now used as a visitor center for the Cardinal Greenway.]] Muncie Ballet and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra are prominent organizations to the city's arts community. Minnetrista Cultural Center, located just north of downtown along the White River, is a museum featuring exhibits and programs focusing on nature, East Central Indiana history, and art. The 40-acre (160,000 m2) campus includes historic homes once owned by the Ball family, themed gardens, outdoor sculptures, and a portion of the White River Greenway. Located downtown in the Horizon Convention Center, the Muncie Children's Museum offers 24,000 square-feet of exhibition space. Also located on the Ball State campus is an 18 acre (7.3 ha) arboretum known as Christy Woods, home to three greenhouses and the Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank. The longest rail trail project in Indiana, the Cardinal Greenway, encompasses 60 miles (97 km) from Richmond, Indiana to Marion, Indiana. The Cardinal Greenway was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2003 and is part of the American Discovery Trail. Muncie's music scene has been home to such acts as Brazil, Everything, Now! and Archer Avenue (ex-Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s). Muncie also hosts several local music festivals, including Muncie Gras and Muncie MusicFest. Muncie has a large network of independent art galleries and craft beer enthusiasts. Sports Muncie is home to the NCAA Division I Ball State Cardinals which is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Notable sports include football (played at Scheumann Stadium), men's basketball (played at John E. Worthen Arena), and baseball (played at Ball Diamond). Muncie has gained notoriety for its rich tradition in prep sports. Muncie Central High School has fielded a boys basketball team for over 100 years and is the most successful such program, with more state championships (8 State Titles, 7 runner-ups) in the state noted for boys' high school basketball and Hoosier Hysteria. The Muncie Central Bearcats have called the Walnut Street Fieldhouse home since 1928. The 6,000+ (once 7,600) seat facility was one of the largest facilities of its kind when built, and still ranks in the top 20 in being the largest high school gymnasium in the world. Muncie Central also boasts six state championships in girls volleyball. Burris Laboratory School has also gained national recognition for its girls volleyball program. The elite program has won 21 state championships, including the last 13 Class 2A state titles, and four national championships all under the helm of former coach Steve Shondell.The Indianapolis Star,http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2004-02-25-ten-great-hoops-newcastle_x.htm Muncie Southside High School also has had success in winning two state championships in wrestling (1975 and 1990) and a state championship in Class 3A boys basketball (2001). Lost to consolidation in 1988, Muncie Northside High School also had a successful athletic program, winning state championships in girls' volleyball (1975–1978) and one state championship in wrestling (1974). Professionally, Muncie was once home to the Muncie Flyers of the National Football League (NFL). Also known as the Congerville Flyers, the team played professional football from 1905 to 1925 and were one of the 11 charter members of the NFL, playing in the league from 1920 to 1924. Not to be confused with the Muncie Flyers of the NFL, the city was also home to a minor league hockey team, the Muncie Flyers of the International Hockey League for a single season (1948–1949). Education on the campus of Ball State University.]] Libraries * Carnegie Library * Kennedy Library * Maring-Hunt Library * Connection Corner * Bracken Library Elementary schools * Burris Laboratory School * East Washington Academy * South View Elementary * Grissom Elementary * Storer Elementary * Longfellow Elementary * Sutton Elementary * Mitchell Elementary * North View Elementary * West View Elementary * Heritage Hall Christian School * Hoosier Academy Muncie * St. Lawrence Elementary School * St. Mary Elementary School Middle schools * Burris Laboratory School * Northside Middle School * Wilson Middle School * Heritage Hall Christian School * Hoosier Academy Muncie * Pope John Paul II Middle School High schools * Burris Laboratory School * Delta High School * Heritage Hall Christian School * Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities * Muncie Area Career Center * Muncie Central High School * Muncie Southside High School (Closed) Colleges and universities * Ball State University * Ivy Tech Community College * Harrison College Media Newspapers * The Star Press * The Ball State Daily News Television * WIPB (PBS) * Muncie receives Indianapolis' network affiliates. Radio stations * WCRD * WERK * WLBC * WJCF * WRFM * WBST Transportation Air * Delaware County Airport (not a commercial airport) * Fort Wayne International Airport at and Indianapolis International Airport at are the nearest commercial airports. Highways * Interstate 69 * US Route 35 * State Road 3 * State Road 67 * State Road 332 Rail * CSX Transportation * Norfolk Southern Mass transit * Muncie Indiana Transit System Sister city * Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China (since 2010) Notable natives & residents General * Ball Brothers, industrialists, founders of the Ball Corporation * Benjamin Victor Cohen, key figure in the administrations of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman * George R. Dale, editor of Muncie Post-Democrat (1920–1936), gained national attention speaking out against the Ku Klux Klan * Bertha Fry, supercentarian, third oldest person on earth at time of death, November 14, 2007 (113 years) Arts * Ray Boltz, Contemporary Christian musical artistRay Boltz * Angelin Chang, Grammy Award-winning classical pianist * Trevor Chowning, Pop artist and former Hollywood talent agent/producer * Jim Davis, cartoonist, creator of the Garfield comic stripThe Official Website of Garfield and FriendsJim Davis :: Profile * Joyce Dewitt, actress Three's Company, Ball State graduate * Emily Kimbrough, author and magazine editor, Our Hearts Were Young and Gay and How Dear to My HeartEmily Kimbrough * David Letterman, host of Late Show, Ball State graduate and benefactor * Hal Rayle, voice artist, Ball State graduate Sports * Ron Bonham, former All-American Muncie Central basketball standout, Cincinnati Bearcats, Indiana Pacers, and NBA Champion Boston Celtics. * Bill Dinwiddie, professional basketball player * Dave Duerson, All-American defensive back for the University of Notre Dame; played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Phoenix Cardinals.Dave Duerson Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com * Brandon Gorin, professional football player, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, and Denver BroncosBrandon Gorin | NFL Football at CBSSports.com * Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue University football standout, professional football player with Washington Redskins * Richie Lewis, professional baseball player, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds * Adam Lind, professional baseball player, Toronto Blue Jays * Matt Painter, Purdue University men's basketball head coachPlayer Bio: Matt Painter :: Men's Basketball * John Paul, Jr., Indy car driver * Jamill Smith, professional football player * Bonzi Wells, former Muncie Central High School and Ball State University standout, professional basketball player, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings. Currently plays for the Puerto Rican team Capitanes de Arecibo.Bonzi Wells Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com See also * Academy of Model Aeronautics, headquartered in Muncie * Cincinnati, Richmond & Muncie Depot * List of public art in Muncie, Indiana * Muncie Indiana Transit System References External links * City of Muncie, Indiana website * Muncie Visitors Bureau * Muncie Chamber of Commerce * [http://www.thestarpress.com/ The Star Press] * Downtown Muncie * The Muncie Scene (art/music community portal) * * * LIFE Magazine May 10, 1937, "Middletown-Muncie", pages 15–25, ("the Picture Essay"), at Google Books. * Digitized archival collections related to Muncie and its history (Ball State University Digital Media Repository) Category:Garfield Category:Cities in Indiana Category:Muncie, Indiana Category:University towns in the United States Category:Cities in Delaware County, Indiana Category:County seats in Indiana